Warriors' Monta Ellis not worried about his points

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Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis (8) shoots over Indiana Pacers' George Hill (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis (8) shoots over Indiana Pacers' George Hill (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

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Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis (8) shoots over Indiana Pacers' George Hill (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis (8) shoots over Indiana Pacers' George Hill (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

Warriors' Monta Ellis not worried about his points

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When Monta Ellis paid a surprise visit Thursday to "KJ," an Oakland teen who was shot last month, the Warriors shooting guard promised to buy him tickets for today's game but wouldn't guarantee a 40-point showcase against Oklahoma City.

One of the league's most dynamic scorers the past three seasons, Ellis is struggling to put up points at his normal rate this season. He's shooting 42 percent from the floor, the lowest percentage since his rookie year, and 25.4 percent from three-point range, down nearly 11 percentage points from last season.

But Ellis says fans shouldn't worry about that. They should be concerned with more important things.

"Win," Ellis said. "That's all I'm trying to do."

Ellis scored a season-low four points in Wednesday's win over Portland, but he had 12 assists to two turnovers. His assist numbers have skyrocketed this season, and many of the helpers are coming within the integrity of the offense.

The Warriors are 6-11 overall and 0-4 when Ellis scores 30 or more points. When he's in the 20-to-29 range, they're 4-2.

"He understands that when he doesn't have it scoring-wise, great players figure out a way to impact the game," coach Mark Jackson said. "We've seen him long enough to know that (Wednesday) was not his normal game. He's a scorer, but he's an underrated playmaker. He does a great job of reading situations."

Ellis has had to deal with a shortened training camp that could have affected his jumper and stamina. He's had to play nine games without point guard Stephen Curry, who stretches the floor. And Ellis has been the attention of every defense.

Take Memphis, for example. Grizzlies video coordinator Jason March spliced together a tape of Ellis' moves before Monday's game. The league's best perimeter defender, Tony Allen, watched every second.

"He's cold, but there ain't no way around it," Allen said of Ellis. "I don't look at what other teams do. I look at what he does, and I do my best to contain that. That's how I get down, period and point blank.

"There's no blueprint for it. We've got a great video and editing guy, and we're tied together like an orange to its peel."

Ellis went for 20 points and five assists against the Grizzlies, but he had five turnovers and was part of a group that blew a 20-point lead. Allen did what most teams have done against Ellis this season - physically abuse him on both ends of the court.

Ellis is not 6 feet 3, as the roster says, and he's not 185 pounds. He has a spindly frame that pounds its way into giants on a nightly basis.

"I'm good," he said. "I do get frustrated at times, but you still have to go out and play. I'm not worried about my body. My body is not built like most people. I know what my body can take, and going to the basket, it can take that all day.

"I'm trying not to worry about it. There are bigger things."

And he doesn't want you to worry about it, either. He wants you to worry about the future of Oakland.

That's why he joined Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Common in surprising an Oakland YMCA team Thursday. They met for the first time to greet the team of "KJ," who was shot 10 times and paralyzed last month in a case of mistaken identity.

Ellis and Common gave out T-shirts, CDs and autographs after running the youth team through a series of drills.

"It's a relief to me, in a way," Ellis said. "For me to go in and see kids doing what I used to do, it really warms my heart. I know that I once was that kid trying to seek my way through the bad stuff."

Important stuff.

A down year

Monta Ellis is shooting worse than he has in any season since his rookie year: